U-M's social media director quits over lie on résumé

December 12, 2012

Detroit Free Press staff

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The University of Michigan's first social media director resigned Monday after it was revealed online that she lied on her résumé, according to the woman and the university.

Jordan Miller, who was hired March 1 to man the helm of the university's efforts to reach an audience through Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, among other social media, claimed to have graduated from Columbia College in Chicago with a degree in journalism, and was given the $100,000 job that fielded hundreds of applicants from all over, according to a university spokesman.

But four days ago, documents surfaced on Reddit.com that appeared to show that Miller, under her maiden name Lilienfeld, had never graduated from college, despite listing a bachelor's degree on her résumé and on university documents. The documents indicated that she attended Columbia College from 2000 to 2003.

When contacted, Miller referred all questions to the university's public affairs division. She e-mailed the Free Press this statement Tuesday:

"My intention was never to deceive the university, but I acknowledge that I made a mistake, and I'm very sorry. In light of this, I believe that it's in the best interest of the university that I resign from my position, so I have chosen to do that, effective yesterday."

The position of social media director was a new one, said university spokesman Rick Fitzgerald, and part of Miller's responsibility was planning the university's strategy for social media outreach. Each hire at U-M undergoes a criminal background check, he said, but it is up to the department to initiate further background checks, including education.

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